|
|
Post by The Flint on May 5, 2011 21:15:13 GMT -5
Torrhen Flint, Brandon's second son, a middle-aged man with a respectable beard, sat on the edge of stump, working the blade of a hatchet with a whetstone. From time to time he spit out red juice of the sour leaf on the ground.
"Ugh," muttered Jeor, Torrhen's son , who dropped another bale of sourleaf upon the pile they'd been accumulating. Behind him were his brother Cley, and his cousin Mors and Donnel.
"Shit's heavy," Donnel added, as they added the last of the bales. Now they were waiting. Waiting for representatives of the clans, Liddle, Norrey, Wull, Burley and Harclay to come. Some times the Black Brothers would send a Crow from the wall. All to bid on the bales that the Flints had grown this year. It was one of the few methods they had for barter or silver, if you were lucky.
And so they chewed their leaf, and waited.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Smith on May 5, 2011 21:28:50 GMT -5
Pollux Wull rode toward the Flints. He scratched at his side as he rode, and chewed on a twig with a small green bud adorning the end.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Flint on May 5, 2011 21:31:23 GMT -5
"How ya do?" Torrhen questioned, rising to his feet as the clansman approached, as he and the younger Flints waited for him to dismount.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Smith on May 6, 2011 19:16:38 GMT -5
The Wull slowed the horse but did not dismount, "I am as fine a pickled mulberry wine." He smiled, and nuzzled the donkey's ear with a knuckle.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Flint on May 6, 2011 19:21:09 GMT -5
"Glad to hear it, I surely 'em. How be things up your way? Any news? We're hearing word of Wildlings being about more then usual." Torrhen asked.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Smith on May 6, 2011 19:46:28 GMT -5
Wull nodded, "My cousin Ferrier, he caughts himself a clan of them fucks, and ate them alive. Hung their bones from the trees cause of da sound they make when the wind gusts."
|
|
|
|
Post by The Flint on May 6, 2011 19:49:47 GMT -5
"Well done." Torrhen said. He didn't really think that the Wulls had really eaten any wildlings, although you could never be certain.
"May get worse 'fore it gets better, you ready to buy some 'leaf today?" Torrhen asked.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Smith on May 6, 2011 19:56:58 GMT -5
The Wull nodded, "I suren to be if the price is right. Pennies are tight these days. Half my swine up and died from new kind of pox."
|
|
|
|
Post by The Flint on May 6, 2011 20:02:40 GMT -5
"New pox?" Torrhen frowned, "'at ain't good news. Sorry to hear it. You're usually a bale, bale and a half man, ain't you?" Torrhen asked. "I hate to see you have to cut 'yer habit. But you know that my stuff lasts the longest eh? Can chew a lip, for a full two days. Gimme... five-hundred silver for a bale and a half?"
|
|
|
|
Post by The Smith on May 6, 2011 20:15:58 GMT -5
Wull winced, and rubbed at his lips with back of his hand. "No ways in left or right can I afford that price anymore. Not with the swine pox, and sheep rot I have. Half my sheep ain't got more hooves then a downwind turtle ox."
|
|
|
|
Post by The Flint on May 6, 2011 20:22:10 GMT -5
Torrhen sucked air through his teeth, and spit red juice between the space where a tooth ought to have been.
"So... What are you telling me? Lemme sell you a half of bale at least then. That oughta get you through till next harvest. I can give you hundred fifty for a half bale. On account of friendship."
|
|
|
|
Post by The Smith on May 6, 2011 20:50:46 GMT -5
"I was thinking a hundred for the whole bake and a half." He smiled coyly, "No one else is going to afford it, in these times."
|
|
|
|
Post by The Flint on May 6, 2011 20:56:44 GMT -5
"If you didn't have any coin, whaddya come out here for?" Torrhen asks, annoyed. "I ain't giving you a bale and a half for price of a quarter that."
He scanned the forest.
"You out here by yourself Wull? How you planning on getting a bale and a half back home?" Torrhen was suddenly nervous about a man who came to do a bargain and didn't have the coin for it.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Smith on May 6, 2011 20:59:37 GMT -5
"I never said I did not have no coin. And I will take what I can back on my Bessie here." He replied, "She can manage more then a single bale, weight wise. And I can do a half on my back. My legs are stronger the a summer bull's in a down pour."
|
|
|
|
Post by The Flint on May 6, 2011 21:04:52 GMT -5
"Well, you ain't getting no bale and a half. I'll give you 200 for a bale. And that's awful generous." Torrhen said. "Give me something to sell to men who actually have the coin."
|
|
Hope you all are well and happy.